With the rapidly increasing dependence on electronic communications and the accompanying efforts to make these communications faster and cheaper, the complexity of designing communications systems is also increasing. For example, available frequency bands, which are regulated by organizations such as the FCC in the USA, are becoming increasingly scarce. Moreover, existing frequency bands are becoming increasingly congested due to the plethora of users and devices in existence. Accordingly, efforts exist to develop wireless technologies which operate at higher, less congested frequencies.
For example, in 2001, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated a large contiguous block of 7 GHz bandwidth for communications in the 57 GHz to 64 GHz spectrum. This frequency band was designated for use on an unlicensed basis, that is, the spectrum is accessible to anyone, subject to certain basic, technical restrictions such as maximum transmission power and certain coexistence mechanisms. The communications taking place in this band are often referred to as ‘60 GHz communications’. With respect to the accessibility of this designated portion of the spectrum, 60 GHz communications is similar to other forms of unlicensed spectrum use, for example Wireless LANs or Bluetooth in the 2.4 GHz ISM bands. One advantage associated with 60 GHz communications is that since a very large bandwidth of 7 GHz is available, very high data rates may be achieved. However, a disadvantage of 60 GHz communications is that conventional processes, technologies, and circuit topologies may be unable to realize circuits for transmitting, receiving, or otherwise processing signals of up to extremely high frequencies.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.